There may have been some unexpected news items concerning ASU football since the end of the regular season, but today the inevitable happened. Running back Rachaad White who had a stellar two-year career in Tempe officially declared for the NFL draft and will skip the Sun Devils’ Las Vegas Bowl contest versus Wisconsin.
In 15 games for the Sun Devils, White totaled 2,127 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns (20 rushing, two receiving), averaging 1.5 score per game. He was near perfect in that category scoring at least one touchdown in 12 of his 15 games for ASU.
This past season, the running back tallied 1,006 rushing yards. He’s just the ninth player to eclipse the century mark in 11 games or less. His significance to the Arizona State offense was immeasurable as he was responsible for his team’s 30.5 percent of its total yards on offense this year (1,462 of 4,799) and 35.6 percent of ASU’s total touchdowns (16 of 45).
White was selected second-team All-Conference selection and is the second-highest graded player, regardless of position, overall in the Pac-12 this season (90.7), and the second-highest graded running back in the FBS.
He was voted ASU’s Frank Kush Team MVP, Danny White Offensive MVP, Wilford “Whizzer” White Outstanding Running Back.
White more than shouldered his fair share of the load for his team, as he ranks third among Pac-12 running backs with 230 touches this past season (187 rushing, 43 receiving - including nullified plays) despite missing essentially a game and a half. The running back’s 230 touches are 23rd among all FBS running backs. His 494 total snaps are good for third among Pac-12 running backs.
The now former Arizona State running back forced 44 missed tackles as a running back – 5th among Pac-12 backs – and 16 as a receiver – third among all FBS schools’ backs. His 452 yards after the catch are 100 more yards than any other Pac-12 back and the 4th-highest tally of any FBS running back this season.
In a shortened 2020 four-game campaign, his first season in the Pac-12, White hit the ground running and recorded 420 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, as well as 151 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
White, a Kansas City native, was a one-time UCLA pledge while playing at Mt. San Antonio College, where in his sophomore year, he amassed over 1400 yards of total offense for the Mounties, including 1,264 rushing yards as a sophomore, averaging 6.4 yards a carry and scoring ten touchdowns. Following that season, he was named first-team All-American by the CCCAA Football Coaches Association.
He was the last addition of the 2020 recruiting class, the best group of newcomers ASU has seen in the Herm Edwards era, and he now leaves Tempe as the most heralded player of that recruiting class.
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